West Babylon, NY – PRI’s latest partnership with nVent RAYCHEM provides the North American transit industry with fully integrated heating systems for winter operations. These heating solutions are crucial for third rail electrification, which is typically used in rapid transit systems.

In third rail electric systems, the third rail (contact rail) is a power conductor that transmits energy to the train. The third rail is usually located on the outside – and is parallel to – the two running rails. Trains are equipped with a sliding pickup shoe that transmits energy from the third rail to the train. The shoe maintains continuous contact with the third rail with the help of gravity reinforced pressure from springs. If contact between the pickup shoe and third rail is broken, the train will lose power.

nVent third rail heating systems provide robust heating power capable of melting ice in the harshest conditions.  The company’s third rail heating solutions can be applied to both top contact and bottom contact transmission systems, as well as various third rail profiles, including 84 C, 85 C, 150 lbs., and the new stainless steel-clad aluminum construction. It’s self-regulating heating cables work by automatically adjusting their power output to compensate for rail temperature changes. The self-regulating heating cable technology is based on a conductive polymer core that reacts to rail temperature drops by contracting, which increases the number of heat delivering electrical paths.

nVent third rail heating systems are available with state-of-the-art controls and telemetry solutions that allow remote control and monitoring of the heating system. Currently, nVent RAYCHEM has supplied New York City with 1.5 million feet of third rail heating systems. In addition, PRI and nVent recently partnered to provide the switch heating and contact rail heating solutions to the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) Floral Park to Hicksville Line Third Track Extension Project.